As the country prepares for the festive season – buying presents, ordering turkeys and organising family get-togethers – it is often easy to forget that Christmas can be a lonely time of year for many. It is for this reason that we believe it is so important to find the forgotten and combat feelings of isolation and loneliness, by bringing a little Christmas cheer into the lives of our veterans.
Whilst our tea party at St. James’s Palace is our flagship Christmas event, over the course of eleven days the Association also hosts seven Christmas lunches across England and Scotland, and funds another in Belfast. Over 800 beneficiaries are treated to a full Christmas lunch of roast turkey and all the trimmings, Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and a glass or three of wine, whilst listening to the fabulous music of the indomitable Swingtime Sweethearts. With Elvis impersonations and conga-lines thrown in for good measure, each of these lunches is guaranteed to bring laughter and joy to those who attend. Friends for life are often made as servicemen and women socialise with veterans of all ages, campaigns and services in a safe and comfortable environment. None of this would be possible without the support of one of our main corporate sponsors, to whom we are, as ever, immensely grateful.
If you know of anyone who is lonely or isolated this Christmas, please do send them our way – we have got a lot of exciting things in the pipeline for 2019 and we’d love to remind them that they are certainly not forgotten.
